Sliver feed mechanism



R. PLACE sLIvER FEED MECHANISM April 6, 1954 3 Shoots-Shut 1 Filod Jan. 21. 1080 iNVENTORZ 85?) 44:2.

ATTORNEYS:

April 6, 1-954 R. PLACE 2,674,013

SLIVER FEED MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 T =1 r15 s4 A'ITOR EYS I April 6,. 1954- R. PLACE SLIVER FEED MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 21, 1950 Patented Apr. 6, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE SLIVER FEED MECHANISM Application January 21, 1950, Serial No. 139,901

This invention relates to an apparatus for delivering a delicate sliver to a baller or other textile machine under controlled tension and surface speed while imparting a false twist greater than heretofore possible. This operation is carried out without drafting the material.

The methods and apparatus which are in use at the present time in textile industries for creating tension and imparting false twist, for eX- ample in a balling operation, are unsatisfactory because the tension is developed by pulling the sliver through a restricted orifice of many possible shapes which has a rotary twisting motion, thus causing uncontrolled longitudinal tension which results in thick and thin sliver which is non-uniform in cross-section. This is particularly true of light slivers because of their inherent lack of tensile'strength. At the present time in the industry these light slivers are coiled loosely into cylindrical containers because of the lack of uniformity produced in current balling methods.

It is the desire of the textile industry to ball these slivers rather than coil them loosely in containers because of the added cost in handling and shipping plus the initial cost of the containers. In balling these light slivers, it ;is necessary to put into the sliver a high degree of false twist in order to produce a well packed, compact ball. This false twist produced in the sliver in the open space between the delivery end of the sliver feed mechanism and the nip point of the balling or other textile operation, permits a ball to be made under greater tension due to the inherent lack of draftin in this method.

An object of this invention is to deliver the sliver at a constant rate to the nip point of the baller or other textile machine and atthe same time insert false twist into the sliver in the open space between the delivery end of the sliver feed mechanism and the nip point of the baller or other textile machine while rotating the sliver feed mechanism assembly first in one direction and then the other. Since the sliver is gripped while being advanced through the feed mechanism, it is possible to impart many more turns of twist or false twist than has been previously possible in the art. This is due to the fact that the shaped hole in the nozzle of a conventional false twist motion is limited to an end resultof one or two turns of twist or false twist due to slippage of the sliver in the orifice opening, since the opening must allow for free passage of the sliver being pulled through it If the opening 9 Claims. (Cl. 19-158) is restricted to reduce this slippage or to at-: tempt to create sufficient tension, then uncon= trolled drafting takes place between the delivery end of the nozzle and the nip of the baller.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism which will impart, from the conventional oscillatory reciprocating motion used in producing false twist, a simultaneous continuous feed motion, thus delivering a sliver at a constant speed to a baller or other textile machine.

Another object of this invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art "and provide method and apparatus of the above-mentioned kind, which are simple, practical and efiective.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus through which the sliver may be continuously advanced under control at high speed.

Another object'of the invention is to provide means for delivering to a baller a sliver twisted with a .suificiently high amount of twist or false twist to produce a well packed, compact ball.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned kind movable back and forth along the reciprocatory path, through which a sliver maybe advanced continuously, even during the moments at the ends of the reciprocatory path of the device when the device is stationary while its direction of travel is reversing.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned kind which may remain stationary in space while oscillating aroundits longitudinal axis, at the same time the ball receiving sliver from this device, together with its holding bracket and drive roll and rack gear linkage, are moved back and forth along a'reciprocatory path, through which the sliverwould be advanced continuously by the device.

Other'obiects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation showing one embodiment of the invention mounted for delivering a sliver to a baller;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation mostly in crosssection of apparatus embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevation taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 isa View similar to Figure 4 but with part of the casing broken away to show the internal structure in side elevation and mostly in cross-section;

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a detail view taken on the line 'I'I of Figure 6 and showing one of the flywheels detached from its clutch mechanism;

Figure 8 is a view taken on the line 88 of Figure 6 showing the opposite flywheel in engagement with its clutch mechanism; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 99 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is an end view of Figure 9.

The apparatus is described herein in connection with a baller, the apparatus delivering a sliver continuously to the baller for winding thereon, but the baller forms no part of the present invention. As illustrated herein the baller includes a support casing I0 from the opposite ends of which project upwardly lugs l2 and I4 which are apertured to receive the rod I6, upon which is slidably mounted the tubular member 18 which is reciprocated as will hereinafter be described.

Mounted on tubular member I8 is split block 20 secured by the set screw 22 and projecting from block 20 is arm 24 fastened at its lower end to block 20 by bolt 26. The upper end of arm 24 terminates in a gear box 28. Within the gear box 28 gears 30 and 32 are provided. Gear 30 is mounted on shaft 34 which extends through the gear box and has fixed on its outer end the gear 36 which is engaged with and travels on the horizontally disposed rack 38 which is supported by strap brackets 40 and 42 which proiect upwardly from the end walls of casing I0 respectively and are secured as by means of bolts 44.

Gear 32 which meshes with gear 30 is fixed on the exterior of a tubular member 46 having at its forward end the outwardly flared funnel-like portion or trumpet 48, from which extends the hollow shaft 50 on which said gear 32 is mounted. Shaft 50 extends entirely through gear box 28 and through the cup-shaped member 52 which is secured as by screws 54 to cover plate 56 of the gear box 28.

Keyed to shaft 50 by key 58, within said cupshaped member 52 is a ring member 60. Secured to ring 60 as by screws 62 is the U-shaped bracket 64 between the arms 64 and 64 of which rollers 66 and 6% are mounted. Extending around rollers 66 and 6B is the endless member or belt I0 which through one reach passes over the control plate 12 which is urged against said. reach of the belt by spring members 14 and 16 shown mounted in bores l0 and provided in a lateral extension 82 of the ring 60. Pressing inwardly on the other reach of the belt is the roller 84 which is detachablv mounted in the key slots 86 provided adjacent the free ends of a yoke member 88 which is slidablv mounted for movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the said reach of the belt by means of L-shaped brackets 90 and 92 secured on the outside of bracket arms 64 and 64 respectively. The position of said bracket is adjustable by means of the screw 94 extending through the mid-portion of the yoke and pressing against the arched flat spring member 06 which is secured on extension 82 by means of screw 98. In the mid-portion of U-shaped bracket 64 a bore 2I4 is provided through which the t isted sliver is led to the baller, as will be described.

Projecting outwardly in opposite directions from the bracket arms 64 and 64 are the L- shaped arms I00 and I02, and extending through the outer right-angled portions of said arms and I02 respectively are the shafts I04 and I06 respectively. The outer end of the shaft I04 extends through flywheel I08 and has the reduced end IIO on which the nut H2 and washer I I4 are provided. The inner end of shaft I04 extends through the bearing I I6 in support I I8 and at its extremity is keyed by key I20 to small gear I40. The reduced end portion IIO of shaft I04 beyond shoulder I24 is keyed by key I22 to the flywheel I08.

The flywheel I08 is provided on its internal face with the annular recess I26 (Figure '7) and mounted within said recess is a clutch member I28 having projecting therefrom the sleeve I30 which rotates on shaft I04 and on its inner end is keyed by key I32 to the bevel gear I34 which is in engagement with, and travels on, a stationary ring gear I36 supported on the periphery of the said cup-shaped member 52.

As shown in Figure 7 the clutch member I28 is provided with three inclined surfaces s terminating in the shoulders t and on each of said surfaces a roller r is provided, whereby, when the clutch is turned in one direction the rollers lock against the surrounding wall of the flywheel thus causing the flywheel to turn in the same direction as the clutch, but when the clutch is rotated in the opposite direction the rollers 1' travel down against the shoulders 15 and out of friction engagement with the flywheel, and the clutch member free-wheels without causi rotation of the flywheel. The clutch mechanism is shown retained within the recess in the flywheel by the cover plate I38.

Gear I43, on the inner extremity of shaft I04 is mounted in meshing relation with a gear I42 I which is mounted on the shaft 68 of roller 68 which actuates the endless belt 10.

The outer end of shaft I06 extends through flywheel I44 and has the reduced end I46 on which the nut I40 and washer I50 are provided.

The inner end of shaft I06 extends through the bearing I52 in support I54 and at its extremity is keyed by key I56 to the small gear I14. The reduced end portion I46 of shaft I06 is keyed by key I53 to the flywheel I44.

The flywheel I44 is provided on its internal face with the annular recess I60, and mounted within said recess is a clutch member I62 having projecting therefrom the sleeve I64 which rotates on shaft I06 and on its inner end is keyed by key I66 to the bevel gear I68 which is in engagement with, and travels on the said stationary ring gear I36, which, as stated above, is supported on the periphery of said cup-shaped member 52. The clutch member I62 is s milar to the clutch member I28 described above except the direction of gripping is opposite.

Gear I14 on the inner extremity of shaft I06 is mounted in mesh with gear I16 which is mounted on the shaft 60*, which is aligned with shaft 68 but extends from, the other end of roller 68 which actuates the endless belt I0.

It will be readily understood that when gear I34 with which clutch E28 rotates, is turning in one direction, the gear I66, with which clutch 462 turns, will be rotated in the opposite direction due to the fact that said gears I34 and I68 are in mesh with said ring gear I36 on opposite portions of said ring gear and degrees removed from one another around said ring gear.

Accordingly, when one flywheel is being positively driven the other: flywheel will not be enfgaged by its clutch and will simply be freecwheeling, but both flywheels being linked together will be rotating in the same direction which is the direction of travel of a sliver through the funnel or trumpet t8, and hollow shaft 50.

Since ring member 60, the U-shaped bracket 64,

.theL-shaped arms lilo and I t2 and the shafts I0. I and I06 of the gears and flywheels supported thereon respectively are rotating with said hollow shaft 50, due to the key 58 interconnecting shaft-50 and ring member 60, and since the directionof rotation of said hollow shaft all is being repeatedly reversed-at-the opposite ends of the -travel ofgear 36 on stationary racktB, there will be a moment atthe end of the travel of said .membersin each direction when th -direction of travel is changing and during which the said shafts I M'and I 66 and the gears I-t l and Hit will not be positively dill-V611 in either direction,--' .but during this moment the flywheels I58 and Mt will be freewheeling and due to their stored energy will continue to rotate shafts I 64 and Hit,

thereby actuating, through gears I42 and I76 and to advance the sliver without interruption.

The apparatus above described and in which my invention is embodied is mounted-as stated 'above by'arm'24 to the block 243 which is fastened on to tubular member I8 (Figure 2) which is reciprocated onshaft I 6 as will now be described.

Also mounted on tubularmember I8 is the split block I80, t ghtened onthe shaft-I8 by the set t screw I62, from which :depends the arm I84 pivoted at its free end by 'pivct I86 to the walking .beam I08. In one face of the walking beam is provided an oval track I85 surrounding a series of outwardly projecting pins I95 evenly spaced apart and'adapted to be'engagedby the teeth ofa cog-wheel'l 92 which has on its hub the roller I03 adapted to travel insaid track I 89, and which ,is driven by shaft I94 from bevel sear 196, Figure 2, which in turn is driven by bevel gear 298 fixed to'the shaft EDS-on the end of which is also mounted gear 2B2-which is driven from gear 294 fixed on shaft 2-36 which is actuated through driving roller'268 from pulley 2H} driven by belt "2 I 2 from any suitable-source of power. Surrounding the walking beam I88 a frame structure is shown, indicated generally by the numeral 2I5. the purpose :of which is to. prevent loose motion in pivot I 85.

From the above description it will be understoo'd that the apparatus embodying my invention will, when applied to the baller mechanism shown in'Figures 1 and 2, be-reciprocated back and forth through a space the length of wh ch is controlled by the length of the'walking beam I88 and the length of the stationary rack 38. 'While being 'reciprocated the sliver, shaft 5f; together with "itsfunnel or trumpet. shaped mouth, the ring the. U-shaped bracketed-J and the shafts Iii l and J06 carrying the flywheels Hi8 and hid, will be sit rotated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction but notwithstanding this change in the direction of rotation of these parts the endlessbelt it will be :driven forward continuously in the same direction, being actuated by roller 68,'which-is driven during one rec'procation of the apparatus by the gear and clutch assembly which includes gear I3 land'clutch I28, and being driven in the same direction during movement ofthe said apparatus in theopposite '6 direction by the gear and clutch assembly which includes gear I68 and clutch I62.

It will be understood that the forward drive of belt It! is not interrupted even during the moments when gear 36 is not being positively driven, which occurs at the moment when the direction of travel of the apparatus is reversed, due to the fact that one or the other of said'clutch :assemblies will be free-wheeling and due to the inertia of the combined flywheels will con- :tinue to drive roller 68.

While the sliver is being continuously advanced it is held firmly between. the belt I0 and the control plate l2 so, as the whole assembly is rotated lfirst in one direction and then in the other, a tight twist is imparted into the portion of the sliver 'between the inner end of the control plate I2 and the nip of the drive roller 298 of the baller. This tight twist is very desirable in the process of balling light slivers as very compact ball may be made without the danger of drafting of the sliver. Drafting of fine sliver in this stage has heretofore made it impossible to ball the zfiner grade of sliver with any of the present devices used in the art. It may be pointed out that uncontrolleddrafting of textile sliver causes thick and thin spots in the sliver which must be corrected before good quality yarns can be made.

Not only does this device insure against draftof a sliver by controlling its continuous forward motion and twist, but it also effects a considerable saving in handling costs of textiles ecause it makes, for example when applied to a ballin operation, a, very compact ball which when compared to the loose coiled package of the :present method, takes less than half the space for shipping and eliminates one or more operations in the pre aration for shipping. Also this device with its continuous feeding principle lends itself to the doffng on the run system which rneans that completed balls can be removed and new balls started without the necessity ofshutting down the machine which is producing the sliver.

Although the belt engages the sliver against "the control plate 12 and prevents relative rotati e mo ement between the sliver and said rotatia le assembly it does not exert any substantial longitudinal tension upon the sliver since it is moving in the same direction as the sliver and as im arting its own rate of forward motion to the sliver.

The device described herein may be reciproooted at high speed through a wide reciprocatory path and the sliver will be driven forward con ,tinuously through the apparatus at a correspondingly hi h speed while bein given false twist and without being sub ected to any'substantial drafting tension whereby its cross-sectional unii-"formity will not be impaired by the twisting op 'eration.

It will be seen that there has been provided by this invention a method and apparatus in which the various objects herein'above set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

WhatIclaim is:

1. A device which imparts to a textile sliver a controlled rate of flow, during the time it is alternately twisted in one direction and the other around an axis parallel to the flow, comprising an endless belt in contact with the sliver and a control plate opposed to said belt, the belt bein driven by a combination of two clutches operative alternately as the rotation of the device changes, to engage and disengag flywheel means having sufficient inertia to maintain the forward speed of the sliver during the null in the rotation change.

2. A device for imparting false twist to a sliver which comprises, a housing, means for rotating said housing alternately in opposite directions, an endless member within said housing and means for driving said endless member in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said housing, said endless member being adapted to engage said sliver while moving with said sliver and to impart to the sliver the rotative movement of the housing, thereby imparting false twist to said sliver in an amount corresponding to the rotations of said housing, and a plurality of driving connections for said endless member actuated by the rotation of said housing, said driving connections each comprising a fly wheel and clutch means therefor, the clutch means of one fly wheel being operable when the housing is rotating in one direction and the clutch means for the other fly wheel being operable to engage its fly wheel when the said housing is rotating in the opposite direction.

3. A device for imparting false twist to a sliver which comprises, a housing, means for rotating said housing alternately in opposite directions, an endless member within said housin and means for driving said endless member in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said housing, said endless member being adapted to en age said sliver while moving with said sliver and to impart to the sliver the rotative movement of the housing, thereby imparting false twist to said sliver in an amount corresponding to the rotations of said housing, and a plurality of driving connections for said endless member actuated by the rotation of said housing, said driving connections comprising a fly Wheel and clutch means therefor, the clutch means of one fly wheel being operable when the housing is rotating in one direction and the clutch means for the otherfly wheel being operable to engage its fly wheel when the said housing is rotating in the opposite direction, the said fly wheels each being of sufficient mass so that the inertia of the fly wheel when unclutched at the moment when the direction of rotation of said housing is reversed is sufficient to cause said fiy wheel to continue to positively actuate the driving connection of which it is a part until said belt is again positively driven by one or the other of said driving connections, whereby said endless member is positively driven forwardly even during the repeated periods when the direction of rotation of the housing is reversing.

4. A device for imparting false twist to a sliver which comprises, a housing, means for rotating said housing alternately in opposite directions,

endless means within said housing and means for driving said endless means in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said housing, said endless means being adapted to engage said sliver while moving with said sliver and to impart to the sliver the rotative movement of the housing, thereby imparting false twist to said sliver in an amount corresponding to the rotations of said housing, and driving means for said endless means comprising rotatable means frictionally engagin said endless means, and a plurality of separate drive means connected to said rotatable means, one of said drive means being operable to drive said endless means forwardly when the housing is rotated in one direction and the other of said drive means being operable to drive said endless means forwardly when the housing is rotated in the opposite direction, whereby said endless means is continuously advanced in the same direction.

5. A device for imparting false twist to a textile sliver which comprises, a hollow housing, means for rotating said housing alternately in opposite directions, means within the housing for advancing a sliver therethrough while gripping it to prevent relative movement between it and the housing, a rack and a plurality of alternately operating drive means for said sliver advancing means, each of said driving means comprising, a pinion meshing with said rack, a clutch member, and means interconnecting said pinion and clutch member, a second clutch member driven by said first clutch member in one direction of rotation only, and means interconnecting said second clutch member and said sliver advancing means, said clutch means being alternately operable in response to alternate rotation of said housing in opposite directions.

6. A device which imparts to a textile sliver a controlled rate of flow while it is alternately twisted in one direction and then in the other direction around an axis parallel to the flow, comprising, a housing, means for rotating said housing alternately in opposite directions, endless means in contact with the sliver and drive means for said endless means comprising, a stationary circular rack, two pinions positioned in engagement with said rack, two clutch means, two fly wheels, means interconnecting said pinions and said clutch means respectively; and means interconnecting said clutch means respectively and said endless means, said pinions being angularly disposed around said rack for giving opposite rotation to the means interconnecting said pinions and said clutch means respectively whereby said clutch means are alternately engaged and disengaged in accordance with the rotation of said housing, and said fly wheels are alternately driven in the same direction, said fly wheels having sufiicient inertia to maintain the forward speed of the sliver during the null in the rotation change when both of said clutch members are disengaged.

'7. A device adapted to deliver a textile sliver to a baller with a controlled rate of speed and to twist it without drafting, comprising, means for traversing back and forth one member of the combination of device and baller relative to the other, means for converting the traversing motion into rotary motion, and means for utilizing the rotary motion for propelling the sliver continuously forward at a constant speed without substantial tension axially of the sliver while imparting twist to the sliver, comprising, a plurality of fly wheels, an endless belt for propelling the sliver, a roller for driving the endless belt, and drive connections between said fly wheels and said roller respectively including clutch means individual to said fly wheels, and gear means actuated by said traversing means to drive one or the other of said fly wheels accord-' ing to the direction of said traversing movement, the fly wheel and clutch combinations being disposed so that said fly wheels are alternately clutched depending upon the direction of said traversing movement.

8. A device for imparting false twist to a sliver which comprises, an endless member, a surface over which a sliver may slide freely, means for leading a sliver between said endless member and said surface, means for revolving said memher and said surface around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sliver, first in one direction and then in the other direction, means for simultaneously rotating said member continuously in the same direction and at the rate of speed desired for the travel of the sliver, thereby advancing said sliver under control so that twisting tension may be applied thereon between said member and means to which the sliver is delivered without causing drafting of the sliver, said surface being movable toward or away from the line of travel of the sliver, and means yield- '10 ingly urging said surface travel of said sliver.

9. Apparatus for continuously advancing a sliver which comprises, a plurality of surfaces, means for leading a sliver between said surfaces, means for moving at least one of said surfaces along an endless path to advance said sliver, means for revolving said surfaces and said sliver around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sliver, first in one direction and then in the other direction, including means for building up an inertia force during successive revolving movements sufficient to maintain the advance of the sliver during the null in the change of the toward the line of revolving from one direction to the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,797,393 Abbott Mar. 24, 1931 2,294,771 Campbell Sept. 1, 1942 

